By that some logic...would you remove Tendulkar facing Akram in the 89 series? He was just a 17 year old kid then. That leaves you with what - two meaningful tests?

Against SA pacers, Sachin Tendulkar has had genuine weakness and it has shown over 12 or more innings. He has consistently been average in every series.

But to discredit him by using his numbers against Pak, against whom he hardly played and his debut series against them as a 17 year old still forms half his experience against them, is quite a bit tenuous.

Similarly the numbers against McGrath are fairly credible if you click on the link. You have a random one-off test from 95 where he averages 5, and the 2004/2005 series where he was possibly in the worst form of his life following the recovery from Tennis Elbow. So if you exclude that in more than 12 innings he averages 47+ not too shabby against one of the all time greats, and part of possibly one the greatest bowling attacks in Cricket history. He was also top scorer for India in 7 of those 12 innings. VVS Laxman topped him in a Sydney test, and then there is the epic Eden gardens test match with VVS and Dravid. So, it turns out he did very well against McGrath as a matter of fact.

He has weaknesses. No body is perfect. All this nit-picking and time wasting is silly....i'm not going to dive into Cricinfo stats page and waste my time to debate against a very tenuous and tedious point.

As I told previously, removing Akram when Sachin was 16 or 17, 180 runs at an average of 30.00.

Clearly the fact that Sachin has pretty modest record against Akram/Donald/McGrath pricked you badly, and honestly I like it . Your desperation in pulling Waqar/Ambrose/Walsh/Murali/Warne shows this.

And your desperation by selective statistical analysis about Tendulkar against just 3 bowlers ,trying to show Vivian Richards in a better light while ignoring other aspects is not desperate at all

My entire point in making the post was not quoting selective names like McGrath/Donald/Akram and disparaging Sachin. Your hero worship of him is very clear (as to how you have taken the post).

If you want to include a geriatric Ambrose on dead pitches as a "lethal bowling attack", do it by all means. It doesn't change a thing.

I am looking for batsmen who were consistent against formidable pace attacks. Attacks that make you think "Jesus, how are we going to survive till the end of the day's play?". West Indian pace attack in the early 80s or the Aussie attack in mid 70s are some examples. From the stats, Sachin certainly doesn't cut it.

If I did exclude Sachin's first series against Akram (when he was 16), Sachin's average against Akram will go further down. That is exactly why I included it. Excluding that Sachin has scored 180 runs in 6 innings against Akram at an even lesser average of 30.

He is No. 1 in my book - the best player I have ever had the privilege of bowling to. There's Steve Waugh and there's Brian Lara, who was wonderful in 1995, but Tendulkar is a class above, consistently special.

The truth says hi.

Donald did say Steve Waugh was the best, but a few years before your article, no need to be like that pal. I havent read every cricket article in cricket history.

Ambrose had a shoulder surgery in 1994. He missed the India tour because of that. He was never the same bowler again. He could occasionally bowl great spells after that like he did at the MCG in 1996-97 series. In his first Test series after the shoulder surgery, West Indies lost a Test series for the first time in 15 years. From 1988-93, he literally was "The Ogre" in Test cricket, gobbling up batting line-ups.

Originally Posted by robelinda

Ambrose was just above medium fast-ish pace by the 95 Eng tour, he had the bounce still but wasnt the force he was before. He never got hit around while he was getting older, and his record was still good, but he was menacing and quick from say 88-93. maybe i'd include the 94 series v Eng- they had no idea on occasions ( the mental 46 test!), but handled him easily most of the time, especially Thorpe and Stewart.

He is No. 1 in my book - the best player I have ever had the privilege of bowling to. There's Steve Waugh and there's Brian Lara, who was wonderful in 1995, but Tendulkar is a class above, consistently special.